Global Blue Refund

[momad]

Hi, just got refunded my VAT from recent Eurotrip by Global Blue. After many weeks, refund finally came into my Amex account, which I then requested for Amex to transfer to my local bank account. However, I noticed that my Ascent points got deducted at the same time for the VAT refunded :evil:

Is this normal? I understand that if you return a product and perform a transaction refund, you will lose the points but this is a VAT return into my credit card as per the shop's requirements. Otherwise, I would have chosen cash.

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Yes that is normal.
I received a large credit from Booking dot com after a bad hotel experience.
The bank deducted points and wouldn't budge even though I explained it was a goodwill credit and not a refund.

 

[momad]

Yes that is normal.
I received a large credit from Booking dot com after a bad hotel experience.
The bank deducted points and wouldn't budge even though I explained it was a goodwill credit and not a refund.

Thanks for sharing your experience!

Mine isn't a transaction refund though. It is my VAT return (well, yeah refund in a way) from my shopping purchase. If I had cash, Amex would not have deducted my points. Global Blue is just facilitating the tax return process and I did not purchase anything from or through Global Blue.

On another hand, Global Blue has already taken commissions from processing the tax return and then to return it to my credit card, converted the original EUR return to GBP and then to AUD. And now my MR points is showing -5k

 

[esseeeayeenn]

Thanks for sharing your experience!

Mine isn't a transaction refund though. It is my VAT return (well, yeah refund in a way) from my shopping purchase. If I had cash, Amex would not have deducted my points. Global Blue is just facilitating the tax return process and I did not purchase anything from or through Global Blue.

On another hand, Global Blue has already taken commissions from processing the tax return and then to return it to my credit card, converted the original EUR return to GBP and then to AUD. And now my MR points is showing -5k

Yes I have travelled in Europe, I understand how VAT refunds work and how EU governments have outsourced the refund process to businesses like Global Blue.
I think I have even obtained a refund from them for some cashmere jumpers I bought in Paris at New Year.

My credit from booking dot com wasn't a transaction refund either. I had never paid anything to booking dot com. No one ever does, that isn't how they work.
I had paid a hotel directly and the payment was a goodwill gesture from booking dot com.

 

[opusman]

Lesson to learn is, use a non (or low) points earning card for VAT refunds.

 

[momad]

Lesson to learn is, use a non (or low) points earning card for VAT refunds.

Would have chosen cash or this method at the very least if the shop had no policy for returning VAT to the same credit card used to pay for the items

 

[momad]

Update: Contacted Amex and pleaded my case - was a tax/VAT return and not a transaction refund (ie. returning a purchase) and they are giving me back the points

Hopefully this will assist someone in the future.

 

[peanutz]

Would have chosen cash or this method at the very least if the shop had no policy for returning VAT to the same credit card used to pay for the items

Here's a bit about VAT refund in cash form at CDG:
- very long & slow process that left us no time to do anything else but rushing to the gate
- options for other currency e.g. USD, AUD instead of Euro

I think I prefer VAT refund to my credit card if it's not a lot of money.